Nominations being taken for “best burger”

Nominations are now being taken for what will be known as Iowa’s Best Burger. The statewide contest drew more than 900 entries last year. Michelle Baumhover, consumer marketing director for the Ames-based Beef Industry Council, says they’ll take nominations through March 15th.

“We know that Iowans love burgers and we also know that Iowans have great restaurants in their communities,” Baumhover says. “The great thing about burgers is that whether it’s a local cafe or a white table cloth restaurant, all of those entities have burgers.” To qualify for the title, Baumhover says the burger patty must be 100-percent beef — for starters.

“The hamburger is such a clean palate that there’s all kinds of sauces and cheeses and breads that can be used that really appeal to a wide range of people,” she says. “That’s part of this whole contest, to get those restaurants being really creative with burgers that appeal to different kinds of consumers.” She says all of the nominees will be narrowed down to just ten finalists for the state title.

“Those ten finalists will be selected based on the total nominations that their restaurant receives,” Baumhover says. “Then we have a panel of judges that will visit the finalists and they will make that final determination on which burger is deemed Iowa’s best burger.” The winner will be the subject of a statewide media campaign. The prizes will be awarded in early May. Last year’s winner was the Sac County Cattle Company in Sac City. To nominate a restaurant and vote, visit: “www.iabeef.org”.